I am leaving Switzerland. Here's why.

Overview

Ali explains why she’s leaving Switzerland after living there for about seven years. She frames it as a personal, non-hateful decision—explicitly rejecting the idea of a “rich quitting” narrative—and says it’s not the end of her connection to the country.

Main reasons she chose to leave Switzerland

Divorce and a major life change

• Since last year (about a year ago), Ali and her partner (“Vince”) have filed for divorce.
• She keeps the details private, but says the divorce forced her to question her life choices.
• She feels she’s been living in Switzerland “out of familiarity rather than true intention.”

Family and belonging

• She’s moving back to Singapore because she misses her family and community.
• She describes missing major moments, including:
  • birthdays
  • family dinners
  • watching nieces/nephews grow
  • a best friend’s wedding
  • time with aging parents
• A recent trip back to Singapore (June–July, after usually going only end-of-year or February) let her celebrate multiple birthdays—highlighting how precious time with family feels.

Betting on herself / going for full-time content creation

• Content creation shifted from a side hobby to something she believes could become her full-time career.
• She describes the strain of balancing a full-time job + content creation, including mental bandwidth issues and guilt about not giving 100% to both.
• She feels she has less to lose right now (no debt, no dependents, independent).
• She fears living with “what if” if she never tries.
• She also notes cost-of-living concerns in Switzerland and that she may relocate (Singapore, or possibly other places like Bali or KL) to support a “digital nomad” lifestyle.

Personal agency and refusing to just “follow along”

• Ali says she didn’t originally choose the Switzerland move; she followed someone else’s career dreams (her husband’s).
• Over her work history, big job/location changes were driven by circumstances (relocations, contract endings, retrenchments), not her own active quitting/choosing.
• Leaving now is the first time she feels she’s making a conscious, self-directed decision—asking: “Who am I when I am the one choosing?”

Lifestyle / learning routine mentioned

Language learning as her true anchor

• Switzerland gave her constant exposure to French—even when she wasn’t actively studying it, she hears it everywhere (signs, ordering food, talking to people).
• She’s also learning Spanish right now.
• She expects she’ll lose that daily French exposure once she moves.

How she studies (with Lingoda)

Ali uses Lingoda classes for French and Spanish for nearly 3 years. Features she values include:

• a structured syllabus with clear learning objectives
• native, qualified teachers
• live classes focused on speaking practice and group interaction (not only videos/grammar)
• flexible scheduling that fits travel/content creation
• daily practice using flash cards and quizzes (“Lingobites”)

Sponsor offer

• “First live class” is free with a 7-day trial
• Discount code: Ollie35 for 35% off during the back-to-school sale

Travel highlights

Singapore visit (June–July)

• Her first trip back in a long time that allowed multiple birthday celebrations (three family members).
• She emphasizes that being present with family felt especially meaningful.

What she’s keeping / next steps

She doesn’t see this as the end of her Swiss chapter

• Her dog is in Switzerland, so she still has logistical ties.
• She’s freezing her Swiss PR to potentially return later.
• She will continue supporting Switzerland content-wise (as an ambassador) and will keep sharing recommendations for visitors.

Her next chapter includes

• moving back to Singapore
• starting over after divorce
• quitting her 9-to-5 role
• transitioning into full-time creator work

Notable locations / products / speakers

Locations

• Switzerland (Lausanne)
• Singapore
• possible digital-nomad bases like Bali and KL

Product / sponsor

• Lingoda (language learning platform)
• “Lingobites” flashcards/quizzes

Discount code

• Ollie35

Speaker / creator

• Ali (creator of the channel, also the video narrator)